en now to be an integral factor in its
existence.

There were two other elements of power, namely, the Pope and the Barons.
The three are almost perpetually at war, two on a side, against the
third. Philippe de Commines, ambassador of Lewis the Eleventh in Rome,
said that without the Orsini and the Colonna, the States of the Church
would be the happiest country in the world. He forgot the People, and
was doubtless too politic to speak of the Popes to his extremely devout
sovereign. Take away the three elements of discord, and there would
certainly have been peace in Rome, for there would have been no one to
disturb the bats and the owls, when everybody was gone.

The excellent advice of Ampere, already quoted, is by no means easy to
follow, since there are not many who have the time and the inclination
to acquire a 'superficial knowledge' of Rome by a ten years' visit. If,
therefore, we merely presuppose an average knowledge of history and a
guide-book acquaintance with the chief points in the city, the simplest
and most direct way of learning more about it is to take the Regions in
their ancient order, as the learned Baracconi has done in his
invaluable little work, and to try as far as possible to make past deeds
live again where they were done, with such description of the places
themselves as may serve the main purpose best. To follow any other plan
would be either to attempt a new history of the city of Rome, or to
piece together a new archaeological manual. In either case, even
supposing that one could be successful where so much has already been
done by the most learned, the end aimed at would be defeated, for
romance would be stiffened to a record, and beauty would be dissected to
an anatomical preparation.

[Illustration: BRASS OF TITUS, SHOWING THE COLOSSEUM]

[Illustration]

REGION I MONTI

'Monti' means 'The Hills,' and the device of the Region represents
three, figuring those enclosed within the boundaries of this district;
namely, the Quirinal, the Esquiline and the Coelian. The line encircling
them includes the most hilly part of the mediaeval city; beginning at the
Porta Salaria, it runs through the new quarter, formerly Villa Ludovisi,
to the Piazza Barberini, thence by the Tritone to the Corso, by the Via
Marforio, skirting the eastern side of the Capitoline Hill and the
eastern side of the Roman Forum to the Colosseum, which it does not
include; on almost to the Lateran, back again, s